Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-25


York are thoroughly posted on the sub.
ject of stones, and therefore they know
the value of them. Out here the diamond
| is looked upon as the most valuable-in
fact, the only really precious stone that
there is. As consequence we labor un.
der a disadvantage. as compared with
dealers in the east OF course, ! know
that there are some here who are informed
on the subject of precious stones, but |
mean that as class our people have
much to learn. For instance, if / were to
ask almost anybody that came in here if
he would like to buy an Alexandrite he
would not know what meant
Tel me something about gems. What
is an Alexandritei'
ut is dark green in color by daylight
and dark red at night. 1t is named after
the ear of Russia, and owes its celebrity
to its prominent hues of red and green,
the chosen emblematic colors of that
empires flag.
SIS it true that you can't break dia
mond;"
"a diamond will crack or break as any
other stone, hut the cracking will reduce
$1,000 TO nothing, spite of the vulgar
tradition that you cant break a dia-
| mond.' Only about one in ten is royal.
| the others being black or colored useful
in the arts"
VALUATION OF DIAMONDS
How do you get at the value of dia-
monds -
"The valuation of gems is arbitrary,
depending on many considerations Among
them is water If perfectly limpd,
like a drop of the purest water, it
is elassed first water Color comes
next Colorless ranks highest, whit
ish next. while the merest suspicion
| Of green or blue rather heightens
the rank of white stones Rose comes
next and then yellow or amber, but they
must all be perfect in water and fiawless
to rank among the first class.
| What about agateS 2"
They are translucent to Transparent
all colors. Agates are built up layer on
| layer, sometimes hundreds to the inch
Those stained by manganese or iron in
moss like figures and veins (moss agates).
sometimes closely resembling persons aud
things, command very high prices
Can you give me chapter on the
amethyst ~
1T is transparent, purple or violet in
| color. cluster as mined generally con
tains other crystals Of blue, green, yellow,
| red, gray and white. The red crystals are
| properly rose quartz, the Clouded ones
| smoky quartz; the green are prase, the
| yellow false topaz and the perfectly clear
are rock crystals. The finest rock crys-
tails are found in great numbers near Hot
Springs, Ark, in Diamond mountain. ."
"What Is a hard stone aside from the
diamondY''
| The aquamarine-a transparent beryl
of greenish blue 1t is lovely stone sis
Ter of the emerald. and very hard twill
cut all the amethysts, but not the topaz.
and is not affected by acids The chryso-
| beryl tcat's eye Is very hard, but ranks
below sapphires, rubies. etc 1t is trans
parent TO translucent green in many
shades. The chrysoprase is apple green,
and some stones are very beautiful and
highly valued -
How does the emerald rankT'
The translucent or subtransparent and
green variety of the beryl, just as the
aquamarine is the transparent and blue
variety, but it is very much more highly
priced. Emeralds rank next to the dia-
mond, ruby and finer sapphire Oriental
emerald is the green sapphire-very rare
very beautiful and very valuable
"Are there stones that can he passed for
another
THE garnet, which is transparent and
red, depends upon its value altogether on
its looks, for it can often pass as ruby ~
What is hloodstone9"
"a variety of chalcedony of q deep green
color, variegated with blood-red or vel
! lowish spots. 1t is properly called hello
| trope'
'Name some other stones I've run
cut "
LONG LIST OF GEMS.
There is the hyacinth cinnamon stone.
transparent, yellow, red and brown
| There are garnet hyacinths and zircon hy-
acinths. Although its intrinsic qualities
| ought to rank the zircon hyacinth first,
the market rates it second Then there is
the lagalite (hlue SPAR, translucent and
| deep blue. Only the fine varieties are
valued for jewelers. purposes. Next the
malachite, translucent green. used for
clocks, vases and parlor ornaments, slabs,
etc. Mexican onyx, translucent greenish
white, with veins of all colors, makes
lovely paper weights, inkstands, pipe
| bowls, etc. The onyx is constructed in
films or layers of different colors like the
agate, except that in the onyx the films
are laid flat, while in the agate they are
like the peelings of an onion The ONYX
| is chiefly valued for cutting canoes The
| choice colors in true onyx arc white, black
and brown. Sardonyx has also film of
carnehan red. The opal is Transparent
white, pale yellow, gray, green and red.
| 1t owes its value to its peculiar nower Of
exhibiting wonderful play of colors as it
is turned to various angles The most re-
markable is the fire opal Precious opal
| is the very finest and most delicately
| shaded and tinted of fire opals OF the
ruby there is the spinel, transparent light.
medium or dark red. The oriental sap
phlre ruby is of the same description, and
very difficult TO distinguish from the spi-
| mel. 1t Is degree harder As O general
rule the orientals are the most valuable,
and spinels of equal beauty are handi-
capped by reputation. Oriental rubies of
the very finest qualities are more valuable
than diamonds of the same weight
Let me see-there is the sapphire.
transparent, azure, celestial, etc, and
blue. Sapphires Of the most celestial hue
and all other good qualities are worth
much less than oriental rubies of the same
size. Yellow sapphires are called oriental
topaz green ones oriental emerald and
violet ones oriental amethysts The
precious topaz is transparent and yellow
There are other varieties-greenish, blu
ish, reddish and some are perfectly color
less. When these are entirely transpar-
ent and otherwise perfect they have high
value also, for they often pass as rubies,
sapphires and diamonds. Another highly
valued stone is the tourmaline. 1t is
transparent, yellow, red, green, blue. The
clear, rich stones are greatly priced The
red is called rubellite, and is often sported
as ruby, as is the yellow for topaz.
Some amber and honey colored yellow
tollriralines are among the most beauti-
fu! gems i'll existence.
THE turquoise Opaque IS blue green.
Turquoise mines in Persia have been
worked for thousands of years. We get